Women in menopause should be careful about insomnia, frequent urination, back pain and general discomfort. These are probably symptoms of menopause and require medical treatment. Dr. Li Qilong, CEO of the Taiwan Menopausal Health Association, said that menopausal symptoms are not obvious, and many women have not found the right department to prescribe the right medicine, and some are worried that hormone treatment will cause cancer. He said there is a new generation of "hormone-like" treatments that can reduce the risk of cancer. The Taiwan Menopause Health Society today released a survey report on "2011 Women's Menopause Awareness and Treatment." The survey of 300 Taiwanese women aged 45 to 60 found that 40% of women have menopausal symptoms but are unaware of it, 74% of women seek medical advice but do not take action; 50% of women take a detour to seek medical treatment, do not get the right medicine, or are afraid that hormone treatment will cause cancer and then run away halfway. Veteran artistes Xiang Wa, Lin Meizhao and Xi Man Ning attended the event today as ambassadors for menopause care. Xiang Wa said earnestly that she had suffered from menopausal symptoms for 4 years. "At first I thought it was a relapse of depression. I took a lot of antidepressants but they didn't work. I cried all day and was so miserable that I wanted to die." Later, when she went for a cervical smear test, she unexpectedly discovered that it was menopause that was causing the problem. Dr. Li Qilong said that because menopausal symptoms are diverse, including palpitations, frequent urination, insomnia, etc., most women seek help from cardiologists, urologists, or even psychiatrists, but fail to receive treatment for menopausal problems. He proposed the "3 no 5 times" rapid screening method, "Menopausal women should seek treatment from obstetricians and gynecologists if they have back pain 3 no 5 times, frequent urination and toileting more than 3 times a night, and sleep no more than 5 hours 3 days a week." For those with mild menopausal symptoms, Li Qilong recommends alleviating menopausal anxiety and discomfort through a balanced diet, moderate exercise, and active communication with family members; but if the discomfort is obvious, hormone treatment should be taken as prescribed by the doctor. However, many women are concerned that hormone therapy may cause cancer, so they consider quitting the treatment as soon as they hear about it. Li Qilong emphasized that "there are multiple options for menopausal treatment, and not every treatment has a high risk of cancer." He further explained that long-term use of traditional hormone therapy may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and breast cancer, but the current treatment of menopause mostly uses a new generation of "hormone-like" treatment, which can improve symptoms without over-stimulating the breasts and endometrium. "Women do not need to worry too much. They should follow the doctor's advice to grasp the golden treatment time. They can still live a youthful and healthy life during menopause." |